Once there was a mother Canada goose and she had 9 goslings. In the fall of the year, when the leaves turned red, yellow and brilliant orange, it was time to leave the wetlands where they lived all summer and fly south for the winter.

She was getting their nest ready when up swam one of her little goslings and asked “Quack, quack quack , mother where are you going?” And the mother said “Quack quack quack I’m going south for the winter.” The little gosling asked, “Can I go too please?” And she said “Yes, quack quack quack, clean your feathers and wash your beak and you can come too.” So the little gosling cleaned his feathers and washed his beak until he was looking really good and ready to go south for the winter.

Then another little gosling came up to the nest and she asked, “Quack, quack quack mother where are you going?” And the mother said “ Quack quack quack I’m going south for the winter.” The second gosling asked, “Can I go too please?” And she said “Yes, quack quack quack, clean your feathers and wash your beak and you can come too.” So the little gosling cleaned her feathers and washed her beak and was looking really good and ready to go south for the winter.

Up came goslings number three, four, five, six, seven, eight and they all asked to fly south for the winter please and they all cleaned their feathers and washed their beaks and were looking really good and ready to go.

Then number nine gosling came up and asked, “Quack, quack quack, mother where are you going?” And the mother said “ Quack quack quack I’m going south for the winter.” And the little gosling asked, “Can I go too?” Mother Canada goose reminded him to ask “Can I go too please.” “Can I go too please quack quack quack?” And she said “Yes, quack quack quack, Clean your feathers and wash your beak and you can come too.” So the little gosling cleaned his feathers and washed his beak and was looking really good and ready to go.

Of course mother Canada goose intended to take her nine goslings south for the winter all along – most Canada geese do not really like the long Canadian winter! But when mother Canada goose turned around to their nest to get the rest of her little goslings - the other eight had fallen right to sleep!

Oh well, quack quack quack she said to gosling number nine, we’ll have to wait until tomorrow I guess!